Peterborough Players Opens Season With Bold And Daring Musical CABARET

The Players' stage comes roaring back to life with Cabaret, the daring, bold, and provocative classic musical, with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff. This celebrated, show-stopping, musical masterpiece is the first mainstage Players' production to return indoors since February of 2020. Cabaret opens on Thursday, June 23rd and runs until Sunday, July 3rd.

In the cabaret, life is beautiful, and troubles are to be forgotten. Yet, while Cliff Bradshaw, an American writer, and a starry-eyed young British singer named Sally Bowles stumble through their bohemian world of 1930s Berlin, the Third Reich rises to power all around them. This multi-Tony Award-winning musical boasts a host of legendary Broadway tunes - from "Maybe This Time" to "Willkommen" to the rousing title number - and heaps of decadent song-and-dance.

"When we started to discuss our 2022 season, I felt strongly that it was time for Cabaret. We all remember it as the ultimate song-and-dance musical, but at its core it asks really difficult questions about a moment in history that cannot, and must not, be forgotten," says Artistic Director Tom Frey, who directs the piece. "So many notes I've read about the show say, 'Sadly, still relevant...' and that's true. Not only is it timeless in its structure, but its themes remain sadly, still relevant."

As director, Frey is joined by choreographer Ilyse Robbins (Beehive: The 60's Musical at the Players, Elliot Norton Award winner for Swan Lake in Blue at Greater Boston Stage Co.). In addition, the Players welcomes music director Jenny Kim-Godfrey (award-winning opera singer and Resident Music Director for Norwegian Cruise Lines). Scenic design is by Charles Morgan, costume design is by Sam Fleming, wig design is by Stephanie Echevarria, props design is by Emily Allinson, lighting design is by Kevin Frazier, and sound design is by Alex Trombly of AMT Productions. Julia Perez and Vanessa C. Hart are Actors' Equity Stage Management.

The cast features Players' newcomers Matthew McGloin (2 Pianos 4 Hands, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) in the role of the Emcee; Broadway veteran Joy Hermalyn (Caroline, or Change, Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway) as Fraulein Schneider; Brandon Grimes (National Tours of Jekyll and Hyde and All is Calm) as writer Cliff Bradshaw, and Michelle Beth Herman (National Tour of Les Misérables) as Sally Bowles. Players' favorites Kraig Swartz (Fully Committed at the Players, The Legend of Georgia McBride at Florida Studio Theatre) and Bridget Beirne (The Drowsy Chaperone at the Players, Mack and Mabel at Stages Repertory Theatre) appear as Herr Schultz and Fraulein Kost, respectively. The swirling world of Berlin is created by Russell Garrett (The Scarlett Pimpernel on Broadway) as Ernst Ludwig, Isaac Phaman Reynolds (Allegiance at SpeakEasy Stage) as Bobby, Philip Kershaw (Our Town at the Players, Julius Caesar at Houston Shakespeare Festival) as Max, as well as Audrey Adji, Maleah Boyd-Gouveia, Max Elliott Braunstein, Gregory Coulter, Zaramaría Fas, Joe Greenan, Kate Kenney (Our Town at the Players), Robert Liniak, Katie Shults (Beehive: The 60s Musical at the Players), Zhang Bai-han, and Lucy Zukaitis (Dumas' Camille at the Players) as members of the Kit Kat club and others.

In addition to our previously announced post-show Talkback on June 26th, the Players is thrilled to announce the first Food Truck Night of the 2022 season! On July 1st, Blackfire Farm will be onsite with their fabulous wood-fired pizzas, available for purchase between 5-7pm before curtain. Come early on the 1st and enjoy pizza and a show! Also, Pay-What-You-Can Tickets will be available on Friday, June 24th to anyone who needs assistance accessing tickets to Players' productions. We invite patrons to attend that performance, with a guest, for whatever they feel they can pay. Tickets must be reserved ahead of time through the box office: (603) 924-7585.

Single tickets for Cabaret are $47, and on sale NOW. Season Subscriptions ($188) available for purchase through July 3rd. Barn Door Flex Passes available throughout the Summer Season. Tickets can be purchased at www.peterboroughplayers.org or by calling the box office at (603) 924-7585.

Peterborough Players is New Hampshire's premiere professional regional theater. The Players is known for an annual Summer Season, this year with 5 mainstage productions and 1 children's show, and continues to offer the Arts on Screen series that includes screenings of renowned performances from the Met: Live in HD. The Players enriches the human experience by producing quality live professional theatre, developing and training theatre artists, and offering New Hampshire a wide variety of performing arts events. Peterborough Players is sponsored in part by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information please visit Peterborough Players, 55 Hadley Road, Peterborough, NH 03458 or www.peterboroughplayers.org.